Crystal Fullerton Fine Art

The Sheep Showman 4x5 Oil

This little painting is based on my daughter and her ewe lamb Bella who made their showing debut at the local 4H achievement Day this past week. Bella is a purebred Clun Forest, a rather rare breed in Canada who performed admirably at the show. So much so that she was even used in the Grand Champion Showmanship class. This is remarkable because the days leading up to the show, training Bella was akin to roping a mustang while standing on an ice rink. Not easy and certainly not enjoyable.

I must give kudos to my daughter because she never gave up and she thought the sun rose and set on her ewe lamb. Two better ambassadors for the sheep industry you could not find as Anna and Bella worked the crowd. Everyone from 90 year women to 1 year old toddlers were in love with Bella as she allowed multitudes of people to pet her downy wool.

I could continue on about how proud I was of my kids and what they accomplished but in truth all the 4H kids there really impressed me. I watched as other members who qualified for the Grand Champion Showman class handled animals for the first time. One girl, who qualified with her dog, admitted to me that this was the first time she had even touched a horse let alone show it. She did remarkably well.

In fact all the kids did and I got to thinking about how we coddle our kids to much. Keep them safe...yes, but don't deny them the chance to try something new. I watched with fascination as parents clutched the fence railing when their child handled a chicken for the first time and I watched as the 4H members laughed at their own ineptness. I watched as new members asked more experienced members for help and I had to smile as it was given freely and happily.

When was the last time you were expected to perform a new task with a public audience and you proudly did it without hesitation? When was the last time you asked for help without fear of ridicule? Or offered help because someone asked you?

I think the next generation is going to be a good one!